Journal profile · ECONOMICS
Journal of Public Economics
ISSN 0047-2727 · eISSN 1879-2316 · Elsevier
Journal of Public Economics: CAS Zone 1 · Economics (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 3.21; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,510; review about 354 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 187 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Public Economics is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 1 of Economics in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth, Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics and Taxation and Compliance Studies, together about 34.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Economics and Econometrics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The aim of the Journal of Public Economics is to encourage original scientific contributions on the problems of public economics, with particular emphasis on the application of modern economic theory and methods of quantitative analysis. It provides a forum for discussion of public policy of interest to an international readership.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): ECONOMICS
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 25, United Kingdom 4, France 3, Canada 1 (33 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Fiscal Policy and Economic GrowthEconomics, Econometrics and Finance18.7%
- Gender, Labor, and Family DynamicsSocial Sciences9.1%
- Taxation and Compliance StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance6.3%
- Financial Literacy, Pension, Retirement AnalysisBusiness, Management and Accounting5.7%
- Corporate Taxation and AvoidanceBusiness, Management and Accounting5.5%
- Experimental Behavioral Economics StudiesSocial Sciences4.6%
- Local Government Finance and DecentralizationSocial Sciences4.6%
- Economic theories and modelsEconomics, Econometrics and Finance4.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Economics Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Economics | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.21LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.05LetPub ·
- h-index
- 309OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,865OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.92OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 45.74%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 166LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,471 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 166 | 116 | 96 |
| 2025 | 187 | 95 | 525 |
| 2024 | 162 | 98 | 1,397 |
| 2023 | 176 | 95 | 2,582 |
| 2022 | 148 | 57 | 3,920 |
| 2021 | 156 | 71 | 5,107 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
354 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 68 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 354 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 21 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,510 / EUR 4,220 / GBP 3,610 / JPY 559,380 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,160 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Submission fee
- USD 250
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 6,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Templates
- LaTeX and Word
- Highlights
- Required
Article types accepted2
- reviewShort paper track. Submissions may be no longer than 6,000 words (about 15 pp. of double-spaced 11-point text with 1-inch margins), with up to five exhibits (fi…Length not stated
- short paperShort paper track. Submissions may be no longer than 6,000 words (about 15 pp. of double-spaced 11-point text with 1-inch margins), with up to five exhibits (fi…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Submission fee of USD 250 Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- ISSN
- 0047-2727
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-2316
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Public Economics
What CAS zone is Journal of Public Economics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Public Economics is in Zone 1 of Economics, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Economics; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Economics. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Public Economics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.21; CiteScore 5.6, h-index 309.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Public Economics?
The publisher reports about 354 days (submission to acceptance). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Public Economics?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 6,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Templates: LaTeX and Word; Highlights: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Journal of Public Economics based?
Of the 33 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (25), United Kingdom (4) and France (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Public Economics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Public Economics is indexed in SSCI and Scopus.
Is Journal of Public Economics open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Public Economics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,510.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .